Should I throw my scales in the trash?
Replies
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I had a few cheap Walmart scales. I could step on them 3,4,5 times and never get the same reading twice. I was annoyed by that. So I splurged and got an Omron Body comp scale. It cost me about $130 but I think it's worth it. I can step on it as many times as I want and get the same exact reading every time. I do the full body comp every Saturday morning. I think it's a great scale.
It looks like they are a lot cheaper now.
https://omronhealthcare.com/products/body-composition-monitor-scale-seven-indicators-hbf514c/
They're programmed to do that. They remember the last number they reported, and if they sense a similar weight they just show the last result.2 -
NorthCascades wrote: »I had a few cheap Walmart scales. I could step on them 3,4,5 times and never get the same reading twice. I was annoyed by that. So I splurged and got an Omron Body comp scale. It cost me about $130 but I think it's worth it. I can step on it as many times as I want and get the same exact reading every time. I do the full body comp every Saturday morning. I think it's a great scale.
It looks like they are a lot cheaper now.
https://omronhealthcare.com/products/body-composition-monitor-scale-seven-indicators-hbf514c/
They're programmed to do that. They remember the last number they reported, and if they sense a similar weight they just show the last result.
I don't know about that and several people are making that claim so I won't debate it. I know I can step on mine, my wife can step on it (she weighs less) and I can step on it again and get the same result. That's consistent and accurate enough for me.
I have a Walmart Weight-Watchers body comp scale and it's a P.O.S.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »I had a few cheap Walmart scales. I could step on them 3,4,5 times and never get the same reading twice. I was annoyed by that. So I splurged and got an Omron Body comp scale. It cost me about $130 but I think it's worth it. I can step on it as many times as I want and get the same exact reading every time. I do the full body comp every Saturday morning. I think it's a great scale.
It looks like they are a lot cheaper now.
https://omronhealthcare.com/products/body-composition-monitor-scale-seven-indicators-hbf514c/
They're programmed to do that. They remember the last number they reported, and if they sense a similar weight they just show the last result.
I don't know about that and several people are making that claim so I won't debate it. I know I can step on mine, my wife can step on it (she weighs less) and I can step on it again and get the same result. That's consistent and accurate enough for me.
I have a Walmart Weight-Watchers body comp scale and it's a P.O.S.
Not all of them are, and yours may not be. Only 1 of my 3 does this (although I won't swear scale #2 doesn't, never tested it).0 -
One thing to do before buying a new one- replace the battery. I did that on mine and the problems I was having with wonky weights corrected itself. It's supposed to have a "low battery" symbol when that happens, but it wasn't showing up. The problem was the battery, however. You dont have to pay that much to get one that is rated accurate by many buyers. I got mine from Amazon a few years back, it was between 20 and 30 dollars, i forget now, and its among the top 3 or so recommended on most sites Ive researched. (An Eat Smart precision digital). It doesnt do fancy things, it just weighs, but that's all I needed.0
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All of this info about how to tell if you have a properly functioning scale is great info! But...
OP, your weight will ALWAYS fluctuate. There is a lot more stuff in your body than just fat, and all that stuff varies in weight based on all sorts of factors beyond your control. You are looking to see your weight go down over a long period of time. Even if you did literally everything perfect, every day, you would still have days or weeks where your weight stayed the same or went up.0 -
I prefer the measuring tape over the scale.
A. It's cheaper.
B. It's more accurate.
C. It tells you what size clothing you should be buying.
(plus no batteries to replace)
I don't understand why people obsess over a fluctuating number. Measurements don't fluctuate the way scales do and you only need to measure about once every two weeks. If you are doing what you need to lose weight, you will see the results in your measurements. Ditch the scale.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Losing weight is great but losing inches is freaking fantastic!!!0 -
Shelley459087 wrote: »Thank you for your responses! think I will splurge on a good set of scales.
I know I shouldn't worry too much about what the reading is but I find it extremely discouraging to wake up and find after I've worked hard for the whole week to find I've gained weight (when that may not be the case).
I gain at ovulation and right before my TOM. Because of this (and because Lyle McDonald said to) I compare myself to last month, not last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k&index=4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr
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I prefer the measuring tape over the scale.
A. It's cheaper.
B. It's more accurate.
C. It tells you what size clothing you should be buying.
(plus no batteries to replace)
I don't understand why people obsess over a fluctuating number. Measurements don't fluctuate the way scales do and you only need to measure about once every two weeks. If you are doing what you need to lose weight, you will see the results in your measurements. Ditch the scale.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Losing weight is great but losing inches is freaking fantastic!!!
Huh. I can't get the same measurement twice in a row. At least the scale is easier to do.
But this is very much a to each their own situation. I prefer the scale but get that some don't.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »I prefer the measuring tape over the scale.
A. It's cheaper.
B. It's more accurate.
C. It tells you what size clothing you should be buying.
(plus no batteries to replace)
I don't understand why people obsess over a fluctuating number. Measurements don't fluctuate the way scales do and you only need to measure about once every two weeks. If you are doing what you need to lose weight, you will see the results in your measurements. Ditch the scale.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Losing weight is great but losing inches is freaking fantastic!!!
Huh. I can't get the same measurement twice in a row. At least the scale is easier to do.
But this is very much a to each their own situation. I prefer the scale but get that some don't.
I am not very good with the tape measure either. I blame the amount of squish in my body for the variances. Maybe when I'm covered with mostly rock hard muscle I'll get consistency. A girl can dream. Close enough is useful for buying clothes that actually fit though.0 -
jennybearlv wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »I prefer the measuring tape over the scale.
A. It's cheaper.
B. It's more accurate.
C. It tells you what size clothing you should be buying.
(plus no batteries to replace)
I don't understand why people obsess over a fluctuating number. Measurements don't fluctuate the way scales do and you only need to measure about once every two weeks. If you are doing what you need to lose weight, you will see the results in your measurements. Ditch the scale.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Losing weight is great but losing inches is freaking fantastic!!!
Huh. I can't get the same measurement twice in a row. At least the scale is easier to do.
But this is very much a to each their own situation. I prefer the scale but get that some don't.
I am not very good with the tape measure either. I blame the amount of squish in my body for the variances. Maybe when I'm covered with mostly rock hard muscle I'll get consistency. A girl can dream. Close enough is useful for buying clothes that actually fit though.
Outside of running gear, I've given up on buying clothes for a while. But yeah, maybe it will work when I'm not obese. But for now the scale is my only friend.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »I had a few cheap Walmart scales. I could step on them 3,4,5 times and never get the same reading twice. I was annoyed by that. So I splurged and got an Omron Body comp scale. It cost me about $130 but I think it's worth it. I can step on it as many times as I want and get the same exact reading every time. I do the full body comp every Saturday morning. I think it's a great scale.
It looks like they are a lot cheaper now.
https://omronhealthcare.com/products/body-composition-monitor-scale-seven-indicators-hbf514c/
They're programmed to do that. They remember the last number they reported, and if they sense a similar weight they just show the last result.
I don't know about that and several people are making that claim so I won't debate it. I know I can step on mine, my wife can step on it (she weighs less) and I can step on it again and get the same result. That's consistent and accurate enough for me.
I have a Walmart Weight-Watchers body comp scale and it's a P.O.S.
The way to test is as I described (where you hold a SLIGHTLY heavy object, weight yourself, lay the object down, and weight yourself again looking for a 0.2lb drop on scales that are supposed to be 0.1lb accurate). Scales with multiple memories have been known to exhibit fake consistency based on the multiple memories so it IS possible that your scale is keeping track of both you and your wife.
As to the rest of it: Libra android, happy scale iphone, weightgrapher.com without a fitbit.com account or supported scale (allows manual entries), or trendweight.com with a freely available fitbit.com account (even without a tracker) to push the weight info out to it.0 -
I used the Tanita HD 351 ... the model is older .. and doesn't have all the extras such as " body fat , water, muscle density.. etc ... " but the scale is very accurate .. I don't know what the original cost was , because it was a gift .. just looked it up on Amazon .. its pricey ..
Over the last few years .. I got several other scales... and was disappointed... because of the inaccuracies0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Shelley459087 wrote: »Thank you for your responses! think I will splurge on a good set of scales.
I know I shouldn't worry too much about what the reading is but I find it extremely discouraging to wake up and find after I've worked hard for the whole week to find I've gained weight (when that may not be the case).
I gain at ovulation and right before my TOM. Because of this (and because Lyle McDonald said to) I compare myself to last month, not last week.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k&index=4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr
Yes! Listen to Lyle!0 -
I use a Fitibit Aria and find it seems reasonable consistent with reading. It needs checking after a bettery change or if moved but I place an 8kg kettlebell on it and if it reads 8.1kg I'm happy that my weights reading correctly0
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Tacklewasher wrote: »
Huh. I can't get the same measurement twice in a row. At least the scale is easier to do.
But this is very much a to each their own situation. I prefer the scale but get that some don't.
Most likely not measuing properly. I measured just fine when I was heavier. Waist is the easiest. Hip I follow the same bikini underwear line. For bust wear your bra. Measuring, just like weighing in should be done once a month - twice tops
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I used to get different readings while weighing successively using my $25 digital scale from Amazon, too. Then I read the manual and it said my scale needed to be recalibrated whenever it was moved. Which completely made sense for me because I stored it on its side due to limited space. The calibration was simple - place on a flat hard surface, step on with one foot, step off, wait till all the lights go out, then weigh for real. No more varying numbers.1
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OP posted 4 years ago, so reckon she's figured out what she wanted to do by now.
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I got a Tanita and my floor is granite so the scale has been quite accurate. Sometimes to my dismay, but hey, I control the main aspect of it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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